Medicare Deadline Is Here
The deadline is here for senior citizens who want to enroll in Medicare. An estimated 43 million Americans qualify for the program, 13 million of which are senior citizens with little or no income. Out of that number, slightly less than 10% still haven't signed up. But if you are in that 10% and don't sign up today, there will be complications if you change your mind down the road.
For each day that you wait, a penalty will be added to your premium, one that will stay with you as long as you’re on the Medicare plan. The longer you wait, the higher the penalty gets. As it stands now, no Medicare plan can have a deductible higher than $250 this year. But beginning tomorrow May 16th, penalties will start to be added to that. Also if you wait to sign up, it will take longer for your coverage to take effect. To sign up or for more information about what plans are available, you can log on to www.medicare.gov or talk to someone at 1-800-MEDICAR.

Wilkes Woman Part Of Investigation
Highway Patrol officers are trying to determine what role a Wilkes County woman played in a fatal accident late Friday night in Lewisville. The incident happened before 9:40pm on Highway 421, as an SUV slammed into the back of a motorcycle, causing it to flip over a nearby guardrail and fall down the embankment. One passenger on the bike was killed in the crash and another was wounded, taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. When the Highway Patrol arrived on scene, they noticed the right front corner of the Mercury Mountaineer had been damaged and smoke was pouring from the hood. However the driver appeared to have fled the scene, as the keys were missing and no body could be found near the vehicle. Troopers have since tracked the vehicle's registration to a Wilkes County woman although it's still unknown if she was in fact behind the wheel.

Hundreds Come Out For Dedication Ceremony
The first ever Greenway Day was held in Wilkes County this past Saturday, with several hundred people making the trip. The event started with a trail dedication at the Tyson Trailhead 10am Saturday morning, with 5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and current State Senator John Garwood in attendence. The new section of the trail, as executive director Bill Clifton explained in this week's Focus on the Foothills, completes the first phase of the Greenway Project which now stands at approximately 1.9 miles long. Work crews will begin Phase Two in July, adding an additional 1.9 miles to the Greenway stretching from the YMCA to Moravian Creek.

Wilkes Part Of Large Problem For NC Schools
Here in Wilkes and across North Carolina, the student population is increasing. With that increase comes a need for new schools or renovations to ones already standing, something that will cost the state an estimated $10 billion over the next five years. That figure comes from a survey released this week by the State Board of Education, detailing education projects in all 100 counties. North Carolina school enrollment is expected to hit 1.5 million students within the next eight years, straining already crowded classrooms. Right now over 7000 trailers are being used to house students across the state, as counties search for the money to build new facilities. Here in Wilkes, the local board has a $33 million renovation deal on the table for high schools, to help at least temporarily solve the problem. Still, state leaders from the Board of Education are calling for a change, not in personnel but in thinking. Members are calling on county leaders to help fund repairs and renovations, both of current schoos and those being built so that North Carolina wouldn’t be in this situation again.

Battling The Mumps Part I: What Is It?
Wilkes County could be facing a serious problem in the coming months, as an old illness has made its' return to the area. Mumps is going around the United States and already there are reported cases in Mecklenburg, Forsyth and Guilford Counties. But what is the virus and how can we protect against it? Tune in to the 3WC News today for part one of Brian's interview with Beth Lovette, Wilkes County Health Director. That's at 12 noon, 5 & 7pm.

Save The Speedway Returns
Plans are moving forward to save the North Wilkesboro Speedway. After their attempt to bring in investors to buy the speedway failed, the group Save the Speedway faded into the background. Now after months of restructuring, the group has returned with a new plan of attack. Their goal is to raise part of the needed funds through online auctions, which begin this week. The first auction will be of an original painting of Dale Earnhardt Sr. done by Tennessee painter Bryan Haren and signed by Richard Childress. In the weeks to come other paintings signed by current NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Dale Jarett and Kevin Harvick will be up for auction, all of which you can view by logging on to www.savethespeedway.net.

3WC Healthwatch: The Problem With Beef
Before you fire up the grill this summer, you might want to make some changes to the menu, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. A study done by the American Association for Cancer Research found that a compound that can be formed when barbequing meat actually raises the risk of prostate cancer. The compound, called PhIP, is created when meat is cooked at very high temperatures, until it’s charred. Once ingested, that charred meat can act as an ignition switch, possibly leading to prostrate cancer. Now that doesn’t mean you have to toss out the grill, just be careful when cooking your meat. The Association recommends that you marinade meat before cooking, using about 4 fluid ounces of marinade for every 1 lb. of meat. That cuts down on the amount of carcinogens inside, possibly up to 90%. And while using the marinade, be sure and turn the food over from time to time, to make sure all areas are covered. Also another way to protect against cancer is to cut the fat off meat before ooking it and then also cutting off any charred or burned pieces before you start eating. It might mean a few extra minutes before supper is ready, but that could also be the difference between a clean bill of health and a trip to the hospital for cancer treatments.

Regional News

Road Construction May Delay Travel
For anyone traveling through portions of Caldwell County over the next few weeks, it could take longer than expected. Work crews are repaving sections of the road stretching between Lenoir and Blowing Rock, as part of a project to expand it to a four lane highway. The project is expected to continue for at least two weeks, meaning that anyone traveling U.S. 321 should expect delays as traffic is down to one lane.

State News

Severe Weather Hits North Carolina
North Carolina was hit by severe thunderstorms on Sunday, with several thousand dollars in damage done. A tornado is believed to have touched down in Cabarrus County, tossing trees across the road and downing power lines. In addition, hail fell in Catawba and Lincoln counties, with the National Weather Service reporting tangerine sized hail shattering windshields in Catawba County near Maiden. In Mooresville, police officials said that so much hail fell, it looked like a layer of snow covering the ground.

Sara Lee Workers On Unemployment
Bad news for workers in the Eden North Carolina area, as over 100 of them are finding themselves on the unemployment line today. On Saturday, Sara Lee Textiles shut down its' Eden plant, as part of an ongoing effort to restructure the company. Most of the workers had already been terminated, with 180 of them released after their shift on May 1st. Now the final group of workers are on the unemployment line as the company said changes were needed thanks to cheaper products coming from overseas competitors.

Winson Man Arrested For Selling Social Security Cards
Officials in Winston Salem uncovered a forgery operation over the weekend. Information from the Gang Inelligence Unit led to a home on Hutton Street, where they found blank ID cards and forged social security cards. Jose Garcia Flores has been arrested as the investigation continues. Flores had been making the cards and selling them to illegal immigrants.

Carrboro Official Wants Noncitizens To Vote
Officials in Carrboro want noncitizens to be allowed to vote. The issue was brought up on Friday at a meeting of the Board of Aldermen, where officials asked that state lawmakers amend the constitution. If approved, legal residents of the state, along with those who are filing for U.S. citizenship, would be allowed to cast ballots in the local election. State Senator Ellie Kinnaird and Representatives Verla Insko and Joe Hackney have said that they plan to bring up the idea before the entire General Assembly when the long session begins after the November elections.

Sports Headlines

Wilkes Central Advances To Third Round
Over the weekend in high school soccer, the second round of the state playoffs was held and Wilkes Central advanced. Central beat South Stokes 12-0, moving on to round three. They'll face off against the winner of tonight's Smokey Mountain and Polk High School game, which starts at 6pm.

Girls Track Results
Around the high school track scene, it was a busy weekend for East and West Wilkes athletes. On the girls side, it was Amanda Davis for West Wilkes placing third in the 200 with a time of 26.90 and then taking first place in the 400, with a time of 1:00:30. In the 800, Leah Treadaway from West Wilkes took fourth place with a time of 2:39:00. Meredith Staley from West Wilkes took second in the 1600 with Anna Hayes from East Wilkes coming in third. East Wilkes runners also took second and third in the 3200, with Anna Hayes placing second and Amanda Williams coming in third. In other track action, it was Melanie Frye from West placing first in the 100 Hurdles, also she took first in the Pole Vault and the Long Jump, while placing third in the High Jump. In the Triple Jump, West Wilkes' Amanda Davis came in fourth, while Meredith Wingler from West was third in the Discus. In team events, West Wilkes girls placed 2nd in the 4x400 while in the 4x800, East Wilkes was third and Wilkes came in fourth.

Boys Track Results
On the boys side, it was Trey Bryan from West taking first place in the 400 with a time of 51.70. Nathan Jordan from East came in third with a time of 52.60. Steven Branch from West took first place in the pole vault, while his teammate Wesley Scercy got first in the Triple Jump. East Wilkes' Landon Walker placed third in both the discus and shot put, while the East Wilkes boys took second place in the 4X800.

Biffle Wins At Darlington
Around the NASCAR circuit, it was Greg Biffle conquering the Lady in Black, as he took the checkered flag in this weekend's Dodge Charger 500. Biffle held off Jeff Gordon to get the win, as #24 came in second. Matt Kenseth was third, Jimmie Johnson fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five.

Jarrett Joining Waltrip
Next year will bring a change for at least one driver on the NASCAR circuit. Dale Jarrett announced this weekend that he'll be leaving Robert Yates Racing at the end of the season to join up with Michael Waltrip's new Toyota operation. The 49-yr-old Jarrett and Waltrip will be teammates, with possibly another car being added to the garage in the near future, according to Waltrip. Jarrett said it was a difficult decision, but he liked the opportunities that Waltrip offered, such as the possibility of managing a team after he retired or becoming a part owner.